Cash eegistee and indicatoe



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1'.

H. 000K. CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

No. 448,987. Patented Mar. 24,1891.

(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. COOK.

CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR. No. 448,937. Patented Mar. 24, 1891.

(N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. H. 000K. CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

Patented Mar. 24, 1891.

uma, wAsMmcTcM u c UNITED STATES PATENT OEricE.

HUGO COOK, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,987, dated March24,1891.

Application filed January 9, 1891. Serial No. 377.225. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern ie it known that I, HUGO COOK, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Dayton, in the countyof Montgomery andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in(lash-Registers, of which the following is a description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents aside elevation of the working parts of one section of my improvedmachine. Fig. 2 represents a reverse side elevation of the same. Fig. 3represents a front view of the same, looking in the direction of thearrow in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 represents a portion of the sideelevation as shown in Fig. 1, with one of the operatingkeys depressed.Fig. 5 represents a detail side elevation of the detent-plate whichcooperates with the keys.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate iden tical parts inall the figures.

I prefer to provide my improved machine with four sets of keysrepresenting respectively units of cents, tens of cents, units ofdollars, and tens of dollars, each from one to nine, inclusive, so thatby operating different combinations of keys any amount from one cent toninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents may be indicated andregistered. Each set of keys is combined with its own separate indicatorand register, the registers of all the sets of keys being, however,connected by suitable transfer devices, by which the amounts registeredby all the keys are added into one common total. Inasmuch as therespective sets of keys and their co-operating indicating andregistering devices are all substantially alike and each forms acomplete machine, I have illustrated but one set in the accompanyingdrawings. From a description of this one set of keys and its associateddevices the entire machine may be readily understood.

In a general way each section of my improved machine may be said toembody, primarily, a main actuator for the indicator and register, suchas a gear-wheel or segment thereof, an oscillating shaft, to which ahandle or other hand-operated device is applied, means for connectingthe shaft with and disconnecting it from the actuator, and a series ofkeys or stops whose various positions determine the points at which theoscillating shaft shall become disconnected from the indicator andregister actuator.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the indicator in the form of awheel hearing the series of numbers on its periphery, (though it may bein other form,) and is geared directly to the main actuator, so as toturn in both directions with it. The registering-wheel is also driven bythe main actuator, but with an interposed ratchet-and-pawl connection bywhich it is turned only in one direction by the movements of theactuator. Interposed between the main actuator and the oscillating shaftis a latch by which, after any key has been operated, the shaft becomesautomatically connected with the actuator when moved a full stroke inone direction by the full stroke of the operating-handle, and carriesthe actuator with it in the reverse direction untilautomaticallydisconnected from it by the operated key, the latterdetermining the extent of movement of the actuator to effect the properindication and registration.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the operating parts of eachsection of the machine may be supported upon a single vertical plate A.The main actuator, in this instance a gear-toothed wheel B or segmentthereof, is loosely mounted upon a central oscillating shaft O,supported by this plate A or cross-pieces O O", secured thereto, Figs. 1and 2. Meshing with the teeth of the gear B is a gear-wheel D, which inturn meshes with a pinion E, tight on the hub of the indicator- Wheel F,so that the latter turns with the gears B and D. Also meshing with thegear D is a pinion G, whose movements in one direction are communicatedby a ratchet-andpawl connection to a registering-wheel H beside it onthe same shaft. The operating handle or lever I is tight upon the shaftO, upon which the gear 13 is loosely mounted, so that without anyfurther connection between the shaft 0 and gear 13 the handle could bepulled forward (to the left in Fig. 1) and downward to a horizontalposition, and be then moved back to a vertical position (this being itslimit of stroke) withoutmoving the main actuator or gear B.

Tight upon the shaft O by the side of the gear B is an arm 3, (shown indotted lines' behind. the handle I in Figs. 1 and 4,) having a beveledlug K upon its face next to the gear. This arm and lug co-operate with acure it to the gear. A spiral spring a, secured at one end to the edgeof the gear and at the other to a lug on the latch-plate L, pulls thelatter outward from the center of the gear and yieldingly holds it inthe position shown in Figsnl and 4. Near its inner end thelatch-plate'is provided with a beveled hook M. When the handle I ispulled forward and downward, oscillating the shaft 0 and arm J with it,the beveled lug K on the arm J rides over the beveled end 7 of the hookM and presses the latch-plate L inward against the tension of the springa until the lug passes the point of the hook, whereupon the latch plateis pulled outward again by the spring a and the engagement of the lugwith the hook connects the handle and shaft with the gear B, so that thelatter turns with them in their further movement until it isdisconnected from them in the manner hereinafter described. The turningof the gear turns the indicator-wheel F, and their relative arrangementis such that when the gear is turned forward to the limit of strokeofthe operatinghandle the zero on the indicator is broughtto the readingopening or window in the casing of the machine.

Arranged radially in segmental guides N N are the operating keys orstops O. Spiral springs surrounding the keys between the inner guide'Niand pins passed through the keys serve to yieldingly hold the latter inand return them to normal position. Each key upon one side near itsinner end is provided with a notch, as shown in the depressed key inFig. 4.

Supported upon the shaft 0 by radial-arms, Fig. 5, is a segmentaldetent-plate P. This plate is capable of slight rocking motion upon itspivotal axis and fits against the inner sides of the guide N", Itcarries a series of beveled detents b, one for each key. A spiral springQ, secured to the inner end of the plate and to the main frame-plate A,yieldingl y holds the plate in the position shown in Fig. 1, in whichposition the beveled sides of the detents are immediately beneath theinner ends of the keys 0. When any key is pushed inward, it pushes thedetent-plate aside until the notch in the key becomes engaged with thedetent, as shown in Fig. hand when pressure on the key is removed thekey is held in this inner position by the detent.

The operation of the machineas thus far described is as follows:Assuming the main actuating-gear B to have been left in the positionshown in Figs. 1 and 4 by the last operation of the machine, theindicator-wheel, as hereinafter explained, will be standing at 5. If thenext amount to be indicated and registered is seven, the operator willdepress the 7 key, as shown in Fig. 4.. Upon then pulling forward thehandle I the lug K on the arm J will ride over the beveled end of thevhook M and become engaged-therewith,

thereby connecting the shaft 0 with thegear B. As the handle is pulledon down, the gear B is turned with it, and the zero on theindicating-wheel is brought to the readingopening, as before explained.During this movement'of the parts. the registering-wheel H has remainedstationary, its actuatingpawl, carried by the pinion G, slipping idlyover its ratchet. The indicator is thus brought to zero before theregistering operation begins. Upon the return-stroke of theoperating-handle the gear B is carried with the shaft 0 and turns theindicator and registering wheels until the outer end of the latchplate Lengages the key, which has been pushed inward and detained by thedetent, in Fig. 4 the 7 key. The further movement of the handle carriesthe latch-platebeneath the key, and as its beveled face (2 rides underthe key the latch-plate is forced inward against the tension of thespring auntil the hook M is disengaged from the lug K on the arm J,which disconnects the shaft from the gear B. The latter is arrested bythe projection f on the outer end of the latch-plate striking the innerend of the key, while the handle and shaft are turned on backward tonormal position. Just as they reach their limit of backward stroke theupper end of the arm J strikes the pin R, projecting from the side ofthe segmental detent-plate P, and moves that plate backward far enoughto free the engaged detent from the operated key and the latter isthrown outward to normal position'by its spring. The spring Q pulls theplate P back to position, as shown in Fig. 1, as soon as pressure on theoperating-handle is removed. It will thus be seen that upon pushing intheproper key and giving the operatinghandleafull forward and backwardstroke the main actuator 01' gear B will first turn the indicator tozero and will then turn it in the reverse direction until it indicatesthe proper number, at which point the shaft 0 is automaticallydisengaged from the actuating-gear and the latter is arrested and heldby the key which has been depressed. As the registering operation doesnot begin until the indicator-wheel has been turned to zero by the' fullforward stroke of the operating-handle, and as the registering-wheelturns with the indicator-wheel during the backward movement of thehandle and stops at the same point as the indicator-wheel, theexactamount indicated on the indicator-wheel will always be added upon theregistering-wheel. One sideof the projection f on the outer end of thelatch-plate L is beveled, as shown, so that it may freely ride under anydepressed key during the forward stroke of the handle, as it must dowhere a key of less value than the previously-operatedone is operated.Its op posite side is made abrupt to cause it to squarely strike adepressed key when moving in the opposite direction to arrest the gear13, as before explained. Between the pro jection f and the face 0 of theplate L there is a recess When the face 0 passes under the end of thedepressed key and the projectionfstrikes the key, the recess permits thespring a to throw the plateL outward slightly, the end of the keyentering the recess, so that the gear B is positively locked to the keyuntil the handle completes its return-stroke and the arm J strikes thepin R and moves the detent-plate P to release the key, as beforeexplained. This locking of the gear to the depressed key by the recessin the latch-plate is advantageous, but not essential.

For the purpose of locking the operatinghandle from movement except.when a key has been operated I secure a locking-plate S, Fig. 2, uponthe shaft C upon the opposite side of the gear B and plate A from saidhandle. A locking-dog T normally engages a lug on the edge of thisplate, but has a beveled projection on its under side, whichis engagedby a pin U, projecting from the side of the segmental detcnt-plate I orone of its supporting-arms. \Vhen a key is pushed inward and this plateis thereby rocked slightly rearward, as before explained, the pin Umoves under the beveled projection on the (log T and lifts the latterout of engagement with the lug on the plate S, so that the latter mayturn forward with the operating-handle. A lug V at thelower corner ofthe plateS strikes a pin 1V upon the cross-piece C of the plate A, whenthe operating-handle is thrown backward and limits the stroke of thehandle. A lug X upon the side of the gear 13 engages a projection (notshown) upon the inner side of the crosspiece C and limits the forwardmovement of the gear. A lug Y at the upper corner of the plate Soperates a bell-striker to sound an alarm at each operation of thehandle.

It. will be understood that where four of the single machinesillustrated in the drawings are combined. together to produce a machinecapable of indicating and registering amounts in. tens and units ofdollars and tens and units of cents the same shaft 0 will extend throughthe entire machine and operate all the gears B, the shaft being providedwith four arms J, having lugs K, one co-operating with thelatch-plateLof each gear B. In such case only one handle I is employed for theentire machine. Whenever any one or more keys in any one or more setsare pushed in and caught by their detents and the handle is pulledforward, the arms J on the shaft 0 will turn all the indicators to zero;but as the handle is moved backward only the arms J and thelatches Lcorresponding to the sets containing the operated keys must becomeengaged and only the gears B and indicators F belonging to those sets beturned, for the indicators of the other sets must remain at zero inorder to make a proper indication.

This result is accomplished by means of a trip which automaticallydisconnects the latch-plate L from the lug K on the arm J in each setwhen no key of that set has been operated, and which may be nowdescribed. Pivoted in the upper end of a slot or recess in the lower endof the segmental detent-plate P, Figs. 1 and i, is a cam-plate Z,provided with a laterally-projccting pin Z, extending into the path ofthe outer end of the latchplate L. \Vhen the keys are all in theirnormal position and the detent-plateP is heldin its lowest position bythe spring Q, the engagement of the lower edge of the cam-plate Z with aplate A, secured to the plate A, presses the plate Z inward and holdsthe pin Z in the position shown in Fig. 1. In such position the pin Zpresses the latclrplate L inward, when the beveled corner of the latterengages it upon the full forward stroke of the handle and disengages thehook M from the lug K on the arm J, so that the shaft is freed fromconnection with the gear 1 and moves back to normal position alone,leaving the latch engaged with the pin Z and the indicator standing atzero. \Vhen, however, any key of the set is pressed inward, and thedetent-plate P thereby moved to the position shown in Fig. 4, thecam-plate Z is lifted and swings outward to the position shown in saidfigure, removing its pin Z from the path of the latch-plate L, so thatthe lug K on the arm J remains engaged with the hook of the latch-plateuntil in the return-stroke of the handle it is disengaged by thelatch-plate striking the operated key, as heretofore explained. It willthus be seen that no matter how many sets of keys are employed in themachine the operation of the handle will move all the indicators to zeroand allow all to remain there excepting those belonging to the sets inwhich a key has been operated.

Where a number of sets of keys, as four, are employed in the machine,the lockingdogs T, heretofore described, will be rigidly secured upon asingle roelcsliaft, so that when any one dog is lifted by the operationof a key of any set, in the manner before explained, all the dogs willbe lifted to free all he plates S, the latter being tight on the shaft0, extending through the machine.

From the foregoingdescription it will be apparent that the lever orhandle I is employed merely as a convenient means for oscillating theshaft 0, and that any other suitable means may be substituted for it.

My invention is not restricted to details of construction, for in itsbroader features the form and arrangement of the parts may be widelyvaried.

So far as I am aware, I am the first in the art to combine a mainactuator, an indicator geared thereto, an oscillating shaft, means forconnecting and disconnecting the shaft and actuator, and a series ofoperating keys or stops whose various positions determine the points atwhich the shaft and actuator shall ICC be disconnected, for the purposedescribed,

and I desire to claim such combination, as

ferent values for automatically disconnectin g the shaft and actuator atdifferent points,

and a lock for preventing movement of the shaft until a key has beenoperated.

2. In acash register and indicator, the combination of a main actuator,an indicatorwheel geared thereto, an oscillating shaft, a

latch for automatically connecting the shaft and actuator, and a seriesof keys for tripping the latch at different points to disconnect theshaft and actuator.

3. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of a main actuator,an indicator geared thereto, an oscillating shaft, a latch forautomatically connecting the shaft and actuator, a series of keys fortripping the latch at differentpoints, and a lock for preventingmovement of the shaft until a key has been operated.

4. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of a main actuator,an indicator geared thereto, an oscillating shaft, a latch forautomatically connecting the shaft and actuator, a seriesof keys fortripping the latch at different points, and a movable trip controlled bysaid keys to disconnect the shaft and actuator when no key has beenoperated.

5. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of a main actuator,an indicatorwheel geared thereto and a register operated thereby, anoscillating shaft, a latch for automatically connecting the shaft andactuator, and a series of keys for tripping the latch at differentpoints to disconnect the shaft and actuator.

6. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of the gear 13, theoscillating shaft O,the arm J, tight on the shaft 0 and provided withthe lug K, the latch-plate L, carried by the gear B, and the keys 0,co-operating with said plate, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

7. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of the gear B, theoscillating shaft 0, the arm J, tight on the shaft 0 and provided withthe lug K, the latch-plate L, carried by the gear B, the keys 0,co-operating with the plate L, and the detent plate P, co-operating withthe keys, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of the gear B, theindicator-wheel F, geared thereto, the oscillating shaft O, the arm J,tight on the shaft O and provided with the lug K, the latch-plate L,carried by the gear 13, and the keys 0, co-operating with said plate,substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a cash register and indicator, the com bination of the gears B D,pinion E, and indicator-wheel F, pinion G and register- Wheel H,withratchet-and-pawl connection between them, oscillating shaft O, arm J,tight on the shaft O and provided with lug K, latch ,plate L, carried bygear B, keys 0, co-operat-' ing with the plate L, and detent-plate P,00- operating with the keys 0, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

10. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of the gear B, theindicator- Wheel F, geared thereto, oscillating shaft 0,

arm J, tight on the shaft 0 and provided with lug K, latch-plate L,carried by gear B, keys 0, detent-plate P, and plate Z, carried by plateP, substantially as and for the purpose described.

11. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of the gear B,indicator-Wheel F, geared thereto; oscillating shaft C, arm J, tight onshaft 0 and provided with lug K, latch-plate L, keys O,detent-plate P,lockingplate S, tight on shaft 0, and dog T, co-operating with plate Sand pin U 0n detent-plate P, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

HU'GO COOK.

\Vitnesses:

ALEX. S. STEUART, EDWARD REoToR.

